Boy dies after river rescue; family identifies victim as “BB” Saulsberry

Linda N. Weller, lweller@thetelegraph.com

Published
5:39 pm CDT, Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Alton police detective Andrew Pierson was one of the detectives back on scene at Alton Marina at the public boat launch area under the Clark Bridge Tuesday morning where a 9-year-old boy was pulled by rescuers from the Mississippi River Monday evening. After the river rescue, firefighter paramedics drove the boy to OSF Saint Anthony’s Hospital emergency department where staff unsuccessfully attempted to revive the child. It was unclear how long the boy had been under water.

Alton police detective Andrew Pierson was one of the detectives back on scene at Alton Marina at the public boat launch area under the Clark Bridge Tuesday morning where a 9-year-old boy was pulled by rescuers

Alton police detective Andrew Pierson was one of the detectives back on scene at Alton Marina at the public boat launch area under the Clark Bridge Tuesday morning where a 9-year-old boy was pulled by rescuers from the Mississippi River Monday evening. After the river rescue, firefighter paramedics drove the boy to OSF Saint Anthony’s Hospital emergency department where staff unsuccessfully attempted to revive the child. It was unclear how long the boy had been under water.

Alton police detective Andrew Pierson was one of the detectives back on scene at Alton Marina at the public boat launch area under the Clark Bridge Tuesday morning where a 9-year-old boy was pulled by rescuers

Boy dies after river rescue; family identifies victim as “BB” Saulsberry

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ALTON — A 9-year-old boy who died Monday evening after rescuers pulled him from the muddy Mississippi River waters by the public boat launch had been with a group of friends and relatives.

A relative identified the victim as Harry B. Saulsberry Jr. of Alton, who went by the nickname “BB.” The boat launch area is at the east end of Alton Marina under the Clark Bridge.

Pfc. Emily Hejna, public information officer for the Alton Police Department, confirmed the boy’s death at a local hospital, and said he was “with a group of people” when he went into the water.

She referred a reporter’s questions to the Madison County Coroner’s Office. The coroner and deputies, though, all were attending a funeral in the morning and did not release information later Tuesday on the death.

Alton detectives returned to the site early Tuesday morning as part of the death investigation.

Someone called 911 at 4:48 p.m. Monday to report that a 9-year-old boy, who could not swim, had fallen into water by the marina. A police officer was the first to reach the area, with Fire Chief Bernie Sebold and five firefighters and other officers soon arriving thereafter. The rescuers quickly waded into the dark, murky waters, combing the depths for the submerged child. The rescuers moved from area to area as they searched for “BB.”

After several tense minutes, one of the rescuers located the unconscious boy in about 10 feet of water, about 9 feet from the end of a dock.

Sebold carried the child as he ran up the concrete public launch ramp and loaded BB into a waiting, Alton Fire Department ambulance. Firefighter paramedics then drove the boy to OSF Saint Anthony’s Hospital emergency department where staff unsuccessfully attempted to revive the child.

It was unclear how long the boy had been under water.

Sebold said such rescues are extremely difficult, as firefighters are not equipped with diving equipment. Monday evening, Sebold described visibility in the water as being “pitch black.”

“You’re searching blindly under water, and you just have to stay down as long as you can,” he said.